thenhlfandomcom-20200215-history
Nikolay Kulemin
| birth_place = Magnitogorsk, Russia | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 1 | weight_lb = 212 | position = Left Wing | shoots = Left | league = NHL | team = New York Islanders | former_teams = Metallurg Magnitogorsk Toronto Maple Leafs | ntl_team = RUS | draft = 44th overall | draft_year = 2006 | draft_team = Toronto Maple Leafs | career_start = 2003 | career_end = }} Nikolay Kulemin (born Nikolay Vladimirovich Kulemin on July 14, 1986) is a Russian professional ice hockey player who currently plays with the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second round of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft as the 44th overall pick. Playing Career On May 25, 2007, Nikolay signed a three-year contract with the Maple Leafs, but he stayed in Russia for the 2007–08 season on a handshake agreement between the Maple Leafs and Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the KHL. During the early stages of his first season in the NHL, he found chemistry on a line with teammates Niklas Hagman and Mikhail Grabovski. Near the end of the season, after the trade of Leafs forward Nik Antropov, Nikolay was used mainly on a line with Grabovski and Alexei Ponikarovsky. In a game against the Montreal Canadiens on March 21, 2009, soon after the line was created, he posted a career-high three points (one goal and two assists) in a 5–2 Toronto win. It has been noted that Ponikarovsky (a Ukrainian), has helped Nikolay become more comfortable in North America by translating and serving as a mentor on and off the ice Nikolay's first NHL goal occurred in his first NHL game, against the Detroit Red Wings, on goaltender Chris Osgood in Toronto's 2008–09 season opener on October 9, 2008. The goal ended up as the game winner in a 3–2 Leafs win. He was selected as a reserve by Team Russia for the 2010 Winter Olympics should an injury occur during the tournament. On July 2, 2010, he signed a two-year contract worth $2.35M per year. On April 5, 2011, Nikolay became the first Russian-born Toronto Maple Leaf to score 30 goals in a season since Alexander Mogilny scored 33 in 2002–2003. Nikolay (along with Mats Sundin, Phil Kessel, James van Riemsdyk, Mogilny and Auston Matthews) are the only Leafs to score 30 or more since the 1999–2000 NHL season. Following this season (which was a personal best), he dropped to 7 goals over 70 games in the 2011–12 NHL season. He was re-signed by Toronto on July 20, 2012, to another two-year contract, worth $2.8M per year. During the NHL lockout in the 2012–13 NHL season, Nikolay returned to the Metallurg Magnitogorsk, where he scored 38 points in 36 games. Upon the lockout ending, he returned to Toronto. He was selected to play in the 2014 Winter Olympics for the Russian National team on home soil. On July 2, 2014, Nikolay left the Maple Leafs after six seasons to sign a four-year free agent contract with the New York Islanders. On April 25, 2015, he scored the final NHL game-winning goal at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Career Statistics Regular season and playoffs }} International Accolades Individual *Russian Super League MVP: 2007 Team *Tampere Cup: 2006 *Česká Pojišťovna Cup: 2006 *Karjala Cup: 2006 *Channel One Cup: 2006 *Russian Super League championship: 2007 Personal Life Nikolay and his wife, Natasha reside on Long Island, New York and have two children: a son named Aleks (born in March of 2009) and a daughter (born in February of 2012). Category:1986 births Category:Russian ice hockey players Category:Russian ice hockey left wingers Category:New York Islanders players Category:Toronto Maple Leafs draft picks Category:Toronto Maple Leafs players Category:HC Metallurg Magnitogorsk players